Latest news with #AmirKhanMuttaqi
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Russia recognises the Taliban: Which other countries may follow?
Russia has become the first country to accept the Taliban government in Afghanistan since the group took power in 2021, building on years of quieter engagement and marking a dramatic about-turn from the deep hostilities that marked their ties during the group's first stint in power. Since the Taliban stormed Kabul in August four years ago, taking over from the government of then-President Ashraf Ghani, several nations – including some that have historically viewed the group as enemies – have reached out to them. Yet until Thursday, no one has formally recognised the Taliban. So what exactly did Russia do, and will Moscow's move pave the way for others to also start full-fledged diplomatic relations with the Taliban? The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement saying that Moscow's recognition of the Taliban government will pave the way for bilateral cooperation with Afghanistan. 'We believe that the act of official recognition of the government of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan will give impetus to the development of productive bilateral cooperation between our countries in various fields,' the statement said. The Foreign Ministry said it would seek cooperation in energy, transport, agriculture and infrastructure. Afghanistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote in an X post on Thursday that Russian ambassador to Kabul Dmitry Zhirnov met Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and conveyed the Kremlin's decision to recognise the Taliban government in Afghanistan. Muttaqi said in a video posted on X: 'We value this courageous step taken by Russia, and, God willing, it will serve as an example for others as well.' In 1979, troops from the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan to establish a communist government. This triggered a 10-year war with the Afghan mujahideen fighters backed by US forces. About 15,000 Soviet soldiers died in this war. In 1992, after rockets launched by rebel groups hit the Russian embassy in Kabul, Moscow closed its diplomatic mission to Afghanistan. The Russian-backed former president, Mohammad Najibullah, who had been seeking refuge in a United Nations compound in Kabul since 1992, was killed by the Taliban in 1996, when the group first came to power. During the late 1990s, Russia backed anti-Taliban forces in Afghanistan, including the Northern Alliance led by former mujahideen commander Ahmad Shah Massoud. Then, on September 11, 2001, suicide attackers, affiliated with the armed group al-Qaeda, seized United States passenger planes and crashed into two skyscrapers in New York City, killing nearly 3,000 people. This triggered the so-called 'war on terror' by then-US President George W Bush. In the aftermath of the attack, Russian President Vladimir Putin was one of the first foreign leaders to call Bush and express his sympathy and pledge support. Putin provided the US with assistance to attack Afghanistan. Russia cooperated with the US by sharing intelligence, opening Russian airspace for US flights and collaborating with Russia's Central Asian allies to establish bases and provide airspace access to flights from the US. In 2003, after the Taliban had been ousted from power by the US-led coalition, Russia designated the group as a terrorist movement. But in recent years, as Russia has increasingly grown concerned about the rise of the ISIS-Khorasan (ISIS-K) group – a regional branch of the ISIS/ISIL armed group – it has warmed to the Taliban. The Taliban view ISIS-K as a rival and enemy. Since the Taliban's return to power in 2021, accompanied by the withdrawal of US forces supporting the Ghani government, Russia's relations with the group have become more open. A Taliban delegation attended Russia's flagship economic forum in Saint Petersburg in 2022 and 2024. With the ISIS-K's threat growing (the group claimed a March 2024 attack at a concert hall in Moscow in which gunmen killed 149 people), Russia has grown only closer to the Taliban. In July 2024, Russian President Putin called the Taliban 'allies in the fight against terrorism'. Muttaqi met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow in October 2024. In April 2025, Russia lifted the 'terrorist' designation from the Taliban. Lavrov said at the time that 'the new authorities in Kabul are a reality,' adding Moscow should adopt a 'pragmatic, not ideologised policy' towards the Taliban. The international community does not officially recognise the Taliban. The United Nations refers to the administration as the 'Taliban de facto authorities'. Despite not officially recognising the Taliban as the government of Afghanistan, several countries have recently engaged diplomatically with the group. China: Even before the US pulled out of Afghanistan, Beijing was building its relations with the Taliban, hosting its leaders in 2019 for peace negotiations. But relations have picked up further since the group returned to power, including through major investments. In 2023, a subsidiary of the state-owned China National Petroleum Company (CNPC) signed a 25-year contract with the Taliban to extract oil from the basin of the Amu Darya river, which spans Central Asian countries and Afghanistan. This marked the first major foreign investment since the Taliban's takeover. In 2024, Beijing recognised former Taliban spokesperson Bilal Karim as an official envoy to China during an official ceremony, though it made clear that it was not recognising the Taliban government itself. And in May this year, China hosted the foreign ministers of Pakistan and the Taliban for a trilateral conclave. Pakistan: Once the Taliban's chief international supporter, Pakistan's relations with the group have frayed significantly since 2021. Islamabad now accuses the Taliban government of allowing armed groups sheltering on Afghan soil, in particular the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), to target Pakistan. TTP, also called the Pakistani Taliban, operates on the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan, and is responsible for many of the deadliest attacks in Pakistan in recent years. Afghanistan denies Pakistan's allegation. In December 2024, the Pakistani military launched air strikes in Afghanistan's Paktia province, which borders Pakistan's tribal district of South Waziristan. While Pakistan said it had targeted sites where TTP fighters had sought refuge, the Taliban government said that 46 civilians in Afghanistan were killed in the air strikes. This year, Pakistan also ramped up the deportation of Afghan refugees, further stressing ties. Early this year, Pakistan said it wants three million Afghans to leave the country. Tensions over armed fighters from Afghanistan in Pakistan continue. On Friday, the Pakistani military said it killed 30 fighters who tried to cross the border from Afghanistan. The Pakistani military said all the fighters killed belonged to the TTP or its affiliates. Still, Pakistan has tried to manage its complex relationship with Afghanistan. In April this year, Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar met Muttaqi and other Afghan officials in Kabul. Dar and Muttaqi spoke again in May. India: New Delhi had shut its Kabul embassy in 1996 after the Taliban took over. India refused to recognise the group, which it viewed as a proxy of Pakistan's intelligence agencies. New Delhi reopened its embassy in Kabul after the Taliban was removed from power in 2001. But the embassy and India's consulates came under repeated attacks in the subsequent years from the Taliban and its allies, including the Haqqani group. Yet since the Taliban's return to Kabul, and amid mounting tensions between Pakistan and the group, India's approach has changed. It reopened its embassy, shut temporarily in 2021, and sent diplomats to meet Taliban officials. Then, in January 2025, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri flew to Dubai for a meeting with Muttaqi. And in May, India's Foreign Minister S Jaishankar spoke to Muttaqi over the phone, their first publicly acknowledged conversation. Iran: As with Russia and India, Iran viewed the Taliban with antagonism during the group's rule in the late 1990s. In 1998, Taliban fighters killed Iranian diplomats in Mazar-i-Sharif, further damaging relations. But it views ISIS-K as a much bigger threat. Since the Taliban's return to Kabul, and behind closed doors, even earlier, Tehran has been engaging with the group. On May 17, Muttaqi visited Iran to attend the Tehran Dialogue Forum. He also met with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and President Massoud Pezeshkian. While each country will likely decide when and if to formally recognise the Taliban government, many already work with the group in a capacity that amounts, almost, to recognition. 'Afghanistan's neighbouring countries don't necessarily have much of an option but to engage with the Taliban for both strategic and security purposes,' Kabir Taneja, a deputy director at the New Delhi-based Observer Research Foundation, told Al Jazeera. 'Most would not be doing so out of choice, but enforced realities that the Taliban will be in Afghanistan for some time to come at least.' Taneja said that other countries which could follow suit after Russia's recognition of the Taliban include some countries in Central Asia, as well as China. 'Russia's recognition of the Taliban is a geopolitical play,' Taneja said. 'It solidifies Moscow's position in Kabul, but more importantly, gives the Taliban itself a big win. For the Taliban, international recognition has been a core aim for their outreach regionally and beyond.'
Gulf Today
16 hours ago
- Business
- Gulf Today
Russia first country to recognise Taliban govt
Afghanistan's government said on Thursday that Russia had become the first country to officially recognise its rule, calling it a "brave decision". The Taliban swept back to power in 2021 after ousting the foreign-backed government and have imposed an austere version of Islamic law. They have keenly sought official international recognition and investment, as the country recovers from four decades of war, including the Soviet invasion from 1979 to 1989. The announcement was made after Afghanistan's Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi met Russia's ambassador to Afghanistan, Dmitry Zhirnov, in Kabul on Thursday. "This brave decision will be an example for others... Now that the process of recognition has started, Russia was ahead of everyone," Muttaqi said in a video of the meeting on X. The flag of Afghanistan flutters at its embassy in Moscow on Friday. Reuters "Russia is the first country which has officially recognised the Islamic Emirate," Taliban foreign ministry spokesman Zia Ahmad Takal told AFP, using the government's name for their administration. Muttaqi said it was "a new phase of positive relations, mutual respect, and constructive engagement", the foreign ministry posted on X. Russia's foreign ministry added on Telegram: "We believe that the act of official recognition of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan will boost the development of productive bilateral cooperation between our countries in several areas." It highlighted potential "commercial and economic" cooperation in "energy, transportation, agriculture and infrastructure". 'Fight terrorism' The ministry said that Moscow hoped to continue helping Kabul "reinforce regional security and fight against the threats of terrorism and drug-trafficking". Moscow has taken recent steps to normalise relations with the Taliban authorities, removing them from a list of "terrorist organisations" in April and accepting a Taliban ambassador in Kabul. In July 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin called the Taliban "allies in the fight against terrorism". Russia was the first country to open a business representative office in Kabul after the Taliban takeover, and has announced plans to use Afghanistan as a transit hub for gas heading to Southeast Asia. 'Allies' Only Saudi Arabia, Pakistan and the United Arab Emirates recognised the Taliban during their first stint in power from 1996 to 2001. This time, multiple other states, including China and Pakistan, have accepted Taliban ambassadors in their capitals, but have not officially recognised the Islamic Emirate since the end of the then-insurgency's two-decade war with US-led NATO troops. There has been limited but growing engagement with the Taliban authorities, particularly from regional neighbours, but also major global players China and Russia. China on Friday said it welcomed Russia's decision. An official gestures next to the flag of Afghanistan as he stands on the balcony of the Afghan embassy in Moscow on July 4, 2025. AFP "As a traditional friendly neighbour of Afghanistan, the Chinese side has always believed that Afghanistan should not be excluded from the international community," foreign ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said. However, restrictions on women and girls, barring them from education and squeezing them from public life, have been key sticking points for Western nations. Multiple Afghan women activists were quick to condemn Russia's recognition. The move "legitimises a regime that bans girls from education, enforces public floggings, and shelters UN-sanctioned terrorists", said Mariam Solaimankhil, former member of Afghanistan's parliament. "The move signals that strategic interests will always outweigh human rights and international law." Senior Taliban figures remain under international sanctions, including by the United Nations. Another former MP in Kabul, Fawzia Koofi, said any recognition of the Taliban "will not bring peace it will legitimise impunity" and "risk endangering not just the people of Afghanistan, but also global security". Agence France-Presse
Yahoo
16 hours ago
- Politics
- Yahoo
Russia becomes first country to recognise Afghanistan's Taliban regime. Will China follow?
Russia has become the first country in the world to grant official recognition to the Taliban government in Afghanistan, with experts monitoring the situation warning other countries like China could soon follow suit. Russia's foreign ministry announced late on Thursday that it had received official credentials from Gul Hassan Hassan, a newly appointed ambassador from the acting government of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan to Russia. Mr Hassan Hassan met with the Taliban's acting foreign affairs minister Amir Khan Muttaqi. The foreign ministry hailed the official recognition of the Afghan government and said it will allow 'productive bilateral cooperation' between the Taliban and Moscow. 'This brave decision will be an example for others … now that the process of recognition has started, Russia was ahead of everyone,' Mr Muttaqi said after meeting Russian officials. No other country has formally recognised the Taliban government. However, China, the United Arab Emirates, Uzbekistan and Pakistan have all designated ambassadors to Kabul, in a step towards recognition. The first photos of the celebrations by the former militants showed them waving the Islamic Emirate's white and black flags and offering prayers in the balcony of the Afghanistan embassy in Moscow. Zabiullah Mujahid, the chief spokesperson of the Taliban government in Afghanistan, welcomed the move and said he hoped more nations will now identify them as the official leader of Afghanistan. 'The Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan is grateful to Russia for this act. We call on other countries to follow the same path to build a better and stronger relationship of recognition with us,' Mr Mujahid told The Independent. The Taliban stormed to power in Afghanistan in August 2021 after the exit of US and Nato forces and promised a moderate rule in the country. But shortly after taking control, the Taliban banned girls and women from schools above sixth grade, colleges, and workplaces. What followed was stricter and harsher implementation of the Taliban's interpretation of Islamic Sharia law, under which girls and women are still banned from public spaces, salons, national parks and gymnasiums, among other places. The Taliban were shunned on the international stage due to their 'gender apartheid policies' and Western diplomats and officials earlier said the isolation would continue until it changed course on women's rights. Russia removing the 'terrorist' tag from the group and recognising them as the official rulers of Afghanistan is being seen as a major step towards ending that isolation – even though the situation for Afghan women has not changed. Taliban leaders have travelled to Russia and China and held high-level talks with many other countries to build diplomatic ties, all part of an effort to seek international legitimacy. Moscow's decision to upgrade its relationship with the Taliban was made by Russian president Vladimir Putin on advice from foreign minister Sergei Lavrov, said Russia's ambassador to Afghanistan Dmitry Zhirnov. Russia has a complex history with Afghanistan. Soviet troops invaded the country in December 1979 to prop up a Communist government, but became bogged down in a long war against mujahideen fighters armed by the US. Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev pulled his army out in 1989, by which time some 15,000 Soviet soldiers had been killed. Russia has been gradually building relations with the Taliban, which Mr Putin said last year was now an ally in fighting terrorism. Since 2022, Afghanistan has imported gas, oil and wheat from Russia. The Taliban was outlawed by Russia as a terrorist movement in 2003, but the ban was lifted in April this year. Russia sees a need to work with Kabul as it faces a major security threat from Islamist militant groups based in a string of countries from Afghanistan to the Middle East. 'Of course, Moscow seeks to establish closer economic ties with Kabul. Russia is pursuing a number of infrastructure projects, in which Afghanistan could play an important role. For example, Russia is promoting transport corridors that are expected to run through Afghan territory,' said Aleksei Zakharov, fellow with Strategic Studies Programme at New Delhi-based think tank Observer Research Foundation (ORF). But to achieve success in these projects alongside the Taliban, Moscow will first need to get a grip on the security situation in Afghanistan. Several terrorist groups, including Isis's regional outfit Isis-K, have carried out attacks in the country against foreign contingents. 'It's still an open question if Russia can get anything in return for IEA's official recognition,' says Mr Zakharov, suggesting this could prove to be a risky bargain for the Kremlin. 'The Taliban are not in a position to provide any guarantees against future attacks. Their track record on fighting terrorism has been mixed,' he said. In March 2024, gunmen killed 149 people at a concert hall outside Moscow in an attack claimed by Isis. US officials said they had intelligence indicating it was the Afghan branch of the group, Isis-K, that was responsible. The Taliban said it was working to wipe out the presence of Isis in Afghanistan. "As a traditional friendly neighbour of Afghanistan, the Chinese side has always believed that Afghanistan should not be excluded from the international community," Chinese foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said on Friday, after Russia's recognition of the Taliban. "No matter how the internal or external situation changes in Afghanistan, diplomatic relations between China and Afghanistan have never been interrupted," she said. The Taliban's soldiers have been celebrating on social media. 'The next in line to recognise the Islamic Emirate will be all the other members of BRICS, InshaAllah. Cry, enemies!' said a Taliban supporter on X, referring to Brazil, Russia, India, China, and South Africa's coalition. Russia's decision 'would pave a clearer way for China at least to officially recognise the government in Kabul', said Kabir Taneja, deputy director and fellow at Strategic Studies Programme at the ORF in New Delhi. 'Others may still be wary. For Russia, this may have been expedited due to the Ukraine war and the ISKP-led terror attack in Moscow in April 2024.' The Middle East will be a 'little more sceptical', he told The Independent. 'However, it is possible that normalisation of Ahmed Al Sharaa in Syria will pave an easier path more specifically for Arab powers to normalise the Taliban as well,' Mr Taneja said, referring to Syria's president – a former al-Qaeda militant. Senior authorities on Afghanistan, however, continued to warn against the risk of colluding with the Taliban at the expense of Afghanistan's women and girls. David Loyn, author of The Long War and a senior expert on Afghanistan, cautioned: 'There is no plan as to how to move forward to save Afghan women. 'The best thing from this could be if the US and other Western countries sat up and took notice that Russia is cozying up to the Taliban, who harbour al-Qaeda and run a terrorist state,' Mr Loyn told The Independent. 'And we know what happens when Afghanistan is ignored. The consequences were 9/11,' Mr Loyn warned.
CBS News
18 hours ago
- Business
- CBS News
Russia becomes first country to formally recognize Taliban's rule in Afghanistan as China welcomes the move
Russia has become the first country to formally recognize the Taliban's government in Afghanistan since it seized power in 2021 after Moscow removed the group from its list of outlawed organizations. The Russian Foreign Ministry announced Thursday that it had received credentials from Afghanistan's newly appointed Ambassador Gul Hassan Hassan. The official recognition of the Afghan government will foster "productive bilateral cooperation," the ministry said in a statement. Afghanistan's Foreign Ministry called it a "historic step," and quoted Taliban Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi as welcoming the decision as "a good example for other countries." The flag used by the Taliban's interim government is seen over the building of Afghanistan's Embassy after Russia has officially recognized the Taliban government in Afghanistan, in Moscow, Russia on July 04, 2025. Sefa Karacan/Anadolu via Getty Images "We believe Russia's move is a positive message to the rest of the world. … We think some Muslim and regional countries may follow suit," Taliban spokesperson Zabihullah Mujahid told CBS News. China welcomed Russia's decision Friday. "As a traditional friendly neighbor of Afghanistan, the Chinese side has always believed that Afghanistan should not be excluded from the international community," foreign ministry spokesperson Mao Ning said. "No matter how the internal or external situation changes in Afghanistan, diplomatic relations between China and Afghanistan have never been interrupted," she said. A former senior Taliban official told CBS News' Sami Yousafzai on Friday that while the group's leadership would no doubt welcome the Russian and Chinese backing, there was a recognition that "Russia and China can't financially support us the way the Americans did." During two decades of U.S.-backed governance in Afghanistan, there was a steady flow of billions of dollars into the country, helping pay for everything from police salaries and hospitals to schools and weapons for the military and police. Since the Taliban retook power in the summer of 2021, that financial support from the U.S. and its allies has virtually dried up. "Only America and its allies can bring real relief — if they choose to," the former Taliban official told Yousafzai. "We know that." The Taliban took control of Afghanistan in August 2021 following the withdrawal of U.S. and NATO forces. Since then, they have sought international recognition while also enforcing their strict interpretation of Islamic law. While no country had formally recognized the Taliban administration until now, the group had engaged in high-level talks with many nations and established some diplomatic ties with countries including China and the United Arab Emirates. Still, the Taliban government has been relatively isolated on the world stage, largely over its restrictions on women. Although the Taliban initially promised a more moderate rule than during their first stint in power from 1996 to 2001, it started to enforce restrictions on women and girls soon after the 2021 takeover. Women are barred from most jobs and public places, including parks, baths and gyms, while girls are banned from education beyond sixth grade. Russian officials have recently been emphasizing the need to engage with the Taliban to help stabilize Afghanistan, and lifted a ban on the Taliban in April. Russia's ambassador to Afghanistan, Dmitry Zhirnov, said in remarks broadcast by state Channel One television that the decision to officially recognize the Taliban government was made by President Vladimir Putin on advice from Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov. Zhirnov said the decision proves Russia's "sincere striving for the development of full-fledged relations with Afghanistan." On Friday, the Taliban took down the tricolor flag of the republic from the embassy building in Moscow and replaced it with their white flag, prompting reactions from former republic officials. "An authoritarian regime recognizing another" "Russia's recognition of the Taliban marks a turning point. It legitimizes a regime that bans girls from education, enforces public floggings, and shelters UN-sanctioned terrorists," Mariam Solaimankhail, a former member of the Afghanistan parliament during the republic government, wrote on social media. "The move signals that strategic interests will always outweigh human rights and international law." Naseer A. Faiq, the chargé d'affaires of the Afghan Permanent Mission to the United Nations, said, "The recognition of the Taliban by countries that have supported them over the past twenty years is not surprising. But the main question is whether this recognition will have an impact on the political, economic, social, and humanitarian situation in Afghanistan and its people, who are facing poverty, unemployment, and uncertainty, or not? "The answer is clear: this political move is apparently in the interests of the Taliban, but its long-term negative effects on the Afghan people will be much greater." Torek Farhadi, a veteran geopolitical analyst, believes Russia is interested in rare earth minerals in Afghanistan. He said Moscow's recognition of the Taliban makes financial investment possible for Russia's defense industry in the region. "Afghanistan has rare earth mines and deposits and Moscow has the mappings from the Soviet day," Farhadi told CBS News. "Moscow officially recognizes the Taliban, it opens the door for investments as rare earth becomes key to the auto industry and the defense industry. Moscow is interested in this spot before anybody else returns to Afghanistan for such investments." Mohammad Halim Fidai, a former provincial governor and civil society activist in exile in Germany, told CBS News, "By endorsing the Taliban regime, Russia has not only violated international norms but also undermined the global consensus against recognizing a government with a deeply troubling human rights record." "This move risks further marginalizing both Russia and the Taliban on the world stage." "Moreover, it exposes the flawed assumptions by some in the West that the Taliban had reformed and would respect basic rights. Ultimately, this endorsement reflects a broader trend of authoritarian solidarity — an authoritarian regime recognizing another."
Al Jazeera
19 hours ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Russia recognises the Taliban: Which other countries may follow?
Russia has become the first country to accept the Taliban government in Afghanistan since the group took power in 2021, building on years of quieter engagement and marking a dramatic about-turn from the deep hostilities that marked their ties during the group's first stint in power. Since the Taliban stormed Kabul in August four years ago, taking over from the government of then-President Ashraf Ghani, several nations – including some that have historically viewed the group as enemies – have reached out to them. Yet until Thursday, no one has formally recognised the Taliban. So what exactly did Russia do, and will Moscow's move pave the way for others to also start full-fledged diplomatic relations with the Taliban? What did Russia say? The Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs released a statement saying that Moscow's recognition of the Taliban government will pave the way for bilateral cooperation with Afghanistan. 'We believe that the act of official recognition of the government of the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan will give impetus to the development of productive bilateral cooperation between our countries in various fields,' the statement said. The Foreign Ministry said it would seek cooperation in energy, transport, agriculture and infrastructure. How did the Taliban respond? Afghanistan's Ministry of Foreign Affairs wrote in an X post on Thursday that Russian ambassador to Kabul Dmitry Zhirnov met Afghan Foreign Minister Amir Khan Muttaqi and conveyed the Kremlin's decision to recognise the Taliban government in Afghanistan. The Ambassador of the Russian Federation, Mr. Dmitry Zhirnov, called on IEA-Foreign Minister Mawlawi Amir Khan Muttaqi. During the meeting, the Ambassador of Russian Federation officially conveyed his government's decision to recognize the Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan, — Ministry of Foreign Affairs – Afghanistan (@MoFA_Afg) July 3, 2025 Muttaqi said in a video posted on X: 'We value this courageous step taken by Russia, and, God willing, it will serve as an example for others as well.' What is the history between Russia and Afghanistan? In 1979, troops from the Soviet Union invaded Afghanistan to establish a communist government. This triggered a 10-year war with the Afghan mujahideen fighters backed by US forces. About 15,000 Soviet soldiers died in this war. In 1992, after rockets launched by rebel groups hit the Russian embassy in Kabul, Moscow closed its diplomatic mission to Afghanistan. The Russian-backed former president, Mohammad Najibullah, who had been seeking refuge in a United Nations compound in Kabul since 1992, was killed by the Taliban in 1996, when the group first came to power. During the late 1990s, Russia backed anti-Taliban forces in Afghanistan, including the Northern Alliance led by former mujahideen commander Ahmad Shah Massoud. Then, on September 11, 2001, suicide attackers, affiliated with the armed group al-Qaeda, seized United States passenger planes and crashed into two skyscrapers in New York City, killing nearly 3,000 people. This triggered the so-called 'war on terror' by then-US President George W Bush. In the aftermath of the attack, Russian President Vladimir Putin was one of the first foreign leaders to call Bush and express his sympathy and pledge support. Putin provided the US with assistance to attack Afghanistan. Russia cooperated with the US by sharing intelligence, opening Russian airspace for US flights and collaborating with Russia's Central Asian allies to establish bases and provide airspace access to flights from the US. In 2003, after the Taliban had been ousted from power by the US-led coalition, Russia designated the group as a terrorist movement. But in recent years, as Russia has increasingly grown concerned about the rise of the ISIS-Khorasan (ISIS-K) group – a regional branch of the ISIS/ISIL armed group – it has warmed to the Taliban. The Taliban view ISIS-K as a rival and enemy. Since the Taliban's return to power in 2021, accompanied by the withdrawal of US forces supporting the Ghani government, Russia's relations with the group have become more open. A Taliban delegation attended Russia's flagship economic forum in Saint Petersburg in 2022 and 2024. With the ISIS-K's threat growing (the group claimed a March 2024 attack at a concert hall in Moscow in which gunmen killed 149 people), Russia has grown only closer to the Taliban. In July 2024, Russian President Putin called the Taliban 'allies in the fight against terrorism'. Muttaqi met Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov in Moscow in October 2024. In April 2025, Russia lifted the 'terrorist' designation from the Taliban. Lavrov said at the time that 'the new authorities in Kabul are a reality,' adding Moscow should adopt a 'pragmatic, not ideologised policy' towards the Taliban. How has the rest of the world engaged with the Taliban? The international community does not officially recognise the Taliban. The United Nations refers to the administration as the 'Taliban de facto authorities'. Despite not officially recognising the Taliban as the government of Afghanistan, several countries have recently engaged diplomatically with the group. China: Even before the US pulled out of Afghanistan, Beijing was building its relations with the Taliban, hosting its leaders in 2019 for peace negotiations. But relations have picked up further since the group returned to power, including through major investments. In 2023, a subsidiary of the state-owned China National Petroleum Company (CNPC) signed a 25-year contract with the Taliban to extract oil from the basin of the Amu Darya river, which spans Central Asian countries and Afghanistan. This marked the first major foreign investment since the Taliban's takeover. In 2024, Beijing recognised former Taliban spokesperson Bilal Karim as an official envoy to China during an official ceremony, though it made clear that it was not recognising the Taliban government itself. And in May this year, China hosted the foreign ministers of Pakistan and the Taliban for a trilateral conclave. Pakistan: Once the Taliban's chief international supporter, Pakistan's relations with the group have frayed significantly since 2021. Islamabad now accuses the Taliban government of allowing armed groups sheltering on Afghan soil, in particular the Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), to target Pakistan. TTP, also called the Pakistani Taliban, operates on the border of Afghanistan and Pakistan, and is responsible for many of the deadliest attacks in Pakistan in recent years. Afghanistan denies Pakistan's allegation. In December 2024, the Pakistani military launched air strikes in Afghanistan's Paktia province, which borders Pakistan's tribal district of South Waziristan. While Pakistan said it had targeted sites where TTP fighters had sought refuge, the Taliban government said that 46 civilians in Afghanistan were killed in the air strikes. This year, Pakistan also ramped up the deportation of Afghan refugees, further stressing ties. Early this year, Pakistan said it wants three million Afghans to leave the country. Tensions over armed fighters from Afghanistan in Pakistan continue. On Friday, the Pakistani military said it killed 30 fighters who tried to cross the border from Afghanistan. The Pakistani military said all the fighters killed belonged to the TTP or its affiliates. Still, Pakistan has tried to manage its complex relationship with Afghanistan. In April this year, Pakistan's Deputy Prime Minister and Foreign Minister Ishaq Dar met Muttaqi and other Afghan officials in Kabul. Dar and Muttaqi spoke again in May. India: New Delhi had shut its Kabul embassy in 1996 after the Taliban took over. India refused to recognise the group, which it viewed as a proxy of Pakistan's intelligence agencies. New Delhi reopened its embassy in Kabul after the Taliban was removed from power in 2001. But the embassy and India's consulates came under repeated attacks in the subsequent years from the Taliban and its allies, including the Haqqani group. Yet since the Taliban's return to Kabul, and amid mounting tensions between Pakistan and the group, India's approach has changed. It reopened its embassy, shut temporarily in 2021, and sent diplomats to meet Taliban officials. Then, in January 2025, Indian Foreign Secretary Vikram Misri flew to Dubai for a meeting with Muttaqi. And in May, India's Foreign Minister S Jaishankar spoke to Muttaqi over the phone, their first publicly acknowledged conversation. Iran: As with Russia and India, Iran viewed the Taliban with antagonism during the group's rule in the late 1990s. In 1998, Taliban fighters killed Iranian diplomats in Mazar-i-Sharif, further damaging relations. But it views ISIS-K as a much bigger threat. Since the Taliban's return to Kabul, and behind closed doors, even earlier, Tehran has been engaging with the group. On May 17, Muttaqi visited Iran to attend the Tehran Dialogue Forum. He also met with Foreign Minister Abbas Araghchi and President Massoud Pezeshkian. After Russia, will others recognise the Taliban? While each country will likely decide when and if to formally recognise the Taliban government, many already work with the group in a capacity that amounts, almost, to recognition. 'Afghanistan's neighbouring countries don't necessarily have much of an option but to engage with the Taliban for both strategic and security purposes,' Kabir Taneja, a deputy director at the New Delhi-based Observer Research Foundation, told Al Jazeera. 'Most would not be doing so out of choice, but enforced realities that the Taliban will be in Afghanistan for some time to come at least.' Taneja said that other countries which could follow suit after Russia's recognition of the Taliban include some countries in Central Asia, as well as China. 'Russia's recognition of the Taliban is a geopolitical play,' Taneja said. 'It solidifies Moscow's position in Kabul, but more importantly, gives the Taliban itself a big win. For the Taliban, international recognition has been a core aim for their outreach regionally and beyond.'
